Couple thoughts on Sean Taylor

This has nothing to do with the Bucs, but watching all the coverage of Sean Taylor's death, I feel compelled to say a little something.

This thing has really hit home for me. I covered Sean briefly during his high school career and later when I was assigned to cover the University of Miami for the Miami Herald.

Even then, Sean never said a whole lot. There was always a sense of mystery about him. But he was one of the most passionate football players you'll ever see, even before becoming a first-round pick and Pro Bowl selection. If you've ever seen him hit an opponent with that typical breathtaking force, you know he could convey that quite well without ever saying a word.

Even in high school, Sean was special. The kid set a state record for touchdowns in this football hotbed -- this from a player who turned out to be even better on defense. We're left to wonder how good he could have become seeing how he was just 24.

He was an imperfect individual. Spitting in Michael Pittman's face in that 2005 playoff game was not exactly a classy move. He was a brash and unapologetic player. And he has had a couple of brushes with the law, though his involvement in a 2004 shooting incident was deemed somewhat peripheral.

Thankfully, Clinton Portis, one of Taylor's closest friends, said Taylor seemed to have changed since the birth of his daughter last year. Regardless, no one deserves to be shot dead in their own home. Hopefully, someone can make some sense of this tragedy, because right now it seems unexplainable.

About the blog

Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans: Keep up with your team news on Bucs Beat, our blog for all things Bucs. Tampa Bay Times sports writers keep you posted on the latest Bucs news, and you can weigh in with your own thoughts.